Cuirim fáilte mhór roimh an Aire go dtí an Teach. Gabhaim buíochas leis as a bheith anseo.

The Minister is very welcome to the House. The topic of men's sheds is one he and I have discussed previously. We are all aware of the truly wonderful organisations they are. The sheds are a place where men can come together in a safe, comfortable environment where they can meet new friends, perhaps reconnect with old friends, learn a new skill or simply put the kettle on and have a cup of tea. It is a wonderful organisation. In my own neck of the woods of Cavan-Monaghan, we have ten sheds in County Cavan and four in County Monaghan. I understand there may be more springing up in both counties shortly.

From a funding perspective, in the overall Government spending pool the amount of funding allocated to men’s sheds is relatively modest but nevertheless, hugely significant to the sheds, which have very limited financial resources to keep going. The funding they get from the Minister's Department each year is hugely significant in that it helps them to keep the lights on, pay for rent if that is an issue or to pay for light or heat or whatever the situation may be. I have been contacted by many sheds in my neck of the woods because some concern or a degree of confusion has arisen in relation to funding for 2026. They are fearful that funding will not be forthcoming and that could potentially result in them having to close shop altogether. That is something that is causing an awful lot of annoyance and concern.

The people who run these sheds are all volunteers and do their best to keep the show on the road. It is hugely important that the Minister has said that the confusion that has arisen in relation to the funding is not factual as the funding is ring-fenced. However, there is some confusion to which I hope the Minister will bring some clarity. He has met the Irish Men’s Sheds Association and another meeting is scheduled for this evening where perhaps we can put the confusion to bed. I would be grateful if the Minister could share that information with me and give reassurance and confidence to the men's sheds both in Cavan and Monaghan and the length and breadth of the country that there is no issue with funding for men's sheds going forward and all his Department is trying to do is streamline and simplify the process whereby men's sheds get funding, which is in everybody's interest.

I wish the Minister well in that regard. We are looking for an assurance that there is basically nothing to see here.

I thank the Cathaoirleach, Senator Daly, for his good wishes and place on the record of the Oireachtas my congratulations and thanks to the Mayo team for the lift they have given us all this year. For a Kerryman to do that is particularly special but even more special is to see Senator Goldsboro back looking hale and hearty. It is so good to have her back and it was great to see her coming in there.

I thank Senator Gallagher for raising the important issue regarding men's sheds and I will include women's sheds in my response. There is no threat to the ongoing funds to local sheds from the Department. We are supportive. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I, and our Department officials are working closely with men's and women's sheds. In fact, we are meeting the Irish Men's Shed Association, IMSA, this evening, which is a long-standing commitment. I am conscious of the role they play. The Senator touched on it and I know it in my locality. I have also engaged with a lot of sheds across the country.

Under the programme for Government, there is a commitment to continue to fund men's and women's sheds and to that end, in addition to the core funding provided by the Department to men's sheds through the IMSA, it is important to note that we provide a range of other supports to individual men's and women's sheds through the local enhancement programme, the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, and LEADER.

Since 2018, under the local enhancement programme and its various supports, men's and women's sheds have been allocated over €2.7 million to assist with capital works, building upgrades and the purchase of equipment. We also provide funding directly to the IMSA under the scheme to support national organisations, SSNO. The current iteration of SSNO started a few weeks ago on 1 July last with funding of €297,766 made available to the IMSA over the next three years and six months. In addition, the funding that Senator Gallagher referred to has provided over €2.3 million in current funding directly to the IMSA for onward distribution to individual men's sheds. That figure includes about €700,000 which was paid out earlier this year between January and the end of April.

The IMSA and the Women's Sheds of Ireland have submitted funding proposals to the Department and we are currently reviewing them. However, the Senator spoke about the concerns of volunteers and about the extraordinary work of volunteers in men's sheds across the country. Some of my engagement with them has pointed to the frustration at the form filling and the level of bureaucracy that comes with the funding, as well as the delay in getting that funding directly to men's sheds. We are engaging with the IMSA as to how we can reduce the delay but also how we can control the funding, which is taxpayers' money, while also reducing the bureaucracy and the burden on volunteers. We received a new proposal from the IMSA late last night and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I, will be working through those proposals.

In terms of 2027, as the Senator knows, all funding programmes are subject to the annual budgetary Estimates. They are costed to provide ongoing funding to these groups as part of the negotiation, and I will be in a position to give clarity on this after 6 October. However, I can assure the Senator of my commitment and that of the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer. I also want to put on the record my thanks to the officials in the Department who have worked exceptionally hard on this scheme over the last number of years through challenging times to get funding to sheds and to local sheds in particular. That commitment is real. That commitment from the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I is real and I look forward to my meeting with the IMSA this evening and to building a relationship with the new women's sheds association.

I thank the Minister for that comprehensive and clear response to my question. It is reassuring to know the Minister is a huge fan of men's and women's sheds and I know this from past experience. It is great to see so many of them springing up throughout the length and breadth of the country.

I welcome the fact that proposals have come forward from the Irish Men's Sheds Association, which the Minister is looking at, and he is due to meet them again this evening.

His comments will bring reassurance and clarity to the men's sheds in Cavan and Monaghan that I have been in contact with. I am hopeful we can see a more streamlined process going forward where the funding can get directly to the sheds involved.

I thank Senator Gallagher and the Senators who have approached me. My priority and that of the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, is to ensure the allocation and the application process is streamlined for local sheds, that the funding is targeted and is distributed effectively and efficiently. We really want to reduce the stress on volunteers but at the same time this is taxpayers' money that has to be managed and controlled. I look forward to working through the IMSA proposals and bringing absolute clarity to this situation as soon as we can.

I thank the Minister.